Why only strong sustainable consumption governance will make a difference

Lorek, Sylvia; Fuchs, Doris

doi:10.4337/9781788117814.00010

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Lorek and Fuchs (2013) distinguish between weak and strong sustainable consumption perspectives. Weak perspectives include green consumption, emphasis on technological development and market-based solutions such as circular economy strategies, eco-labelling and green taxation (Hobson, 2013; Lorek and Fuchs, 2013, 2019). Strong sustainable consumption perspectives adopt a more systemic critique.…”

Section: Previous Research and Theoretical Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breaking through banal consumerism? Representations of postconsumerist perspectives in mainstream press media

Boréus,

Bradley,

Tornhill

2023

Journal of Consumer Culture

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Current calls for deep societal transformation stress the need to go beyond green consumption and aim for the reduction of material consumption. Such a shift is enacted by grassroots initiatives around reuse, repair and sharing. However, the possibility of postconsumerist perspectives and practices to reach a broader audience is affected by discursive opportunity structures (DOS) formed in public debate. To understand the DOS it is relevant to pay attention both to the continuous normalisation of consumption and to the ways in which alternatives are represented. To develop new analytical tools for examining what postconsumerist initiatives are up against, we introduce the concept of banal consumerism: mundane, habitual expressions that reproduce consumer culture. Through an empirical study of Swedish daily newspapers, we construct the basis for a typology of different expressions of banal consumerism. We find several expressions, of which the massive advertising of consumer goods is the most common but editorial material also plays an important role. This largely disabling DOS is then put in relation to the potentially enabling opportunities entailed in the existing media coverage of postconsumerist initiatives, practices and perspectives. The results show that postconsumerist initiatives and practices are newsworthy and presented as commendable. The fact that high levels of material consumption negatively impact the environment and life on the planet is widely accepted. To argue for degrowth or criticise consumerism is, however, controversial. Thus, support for postconsumerist practices coexist with massive expressions of banal consumerism, creating a complex set of DOS for the postconsumerist initiatives to navigate.

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Section: Previous Research and Theoretical Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breaking through banal consumerism? Representations of postconsumerist perspectives in mainstream press media

Boréus,

Bradley,

Tornhill

2023

Journal of Consumer Culture

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show abstract

“…Given the call for societal transformations, what should sustainable consumption look like? There have been efforts in recent years to distinguish what is called "strong sustainable consumption" from other variants, whereby a weaker version would entail, for example, small acts of consumerism, such as buying greener products in a marketplace of possibilities (Fuchs and Lorek 2005;Lorek and Fuchs 2019). Such weaker approaches have been criticized as forms of consumer scapegoatism (Akenji 2014) or as over-individualizing responsibility via consumers (Maniates 2001).…”

Section: Why Do We Need Consumption Corridors?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing the concept of consumption corridors and exploring its implications

Sahakian

Fuchs

Lorek

et al. 2021

Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy

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As a salutogenic concept, "consumption corridors" aims to support what is necessary for sustainable wellbeing to be achieved in relation to the Earth system, with a deep consideration for justice and equity. Living in consumption corridors is a representation of everyday life whereby people live within limits, so that all peoplenow and in the futurecan access what is needed to live a good life. In this special issue, a series of scholars and practitioners have come together to further develop the concept, engage with its methodological implications, and relate it to consumption domains and policy implications. We begin by introducing how the concept emerged, in relation to the complexity of grappling with the societal transformations required for achieving more sustainable forms of consumption. We then present the different contributions, which demonstrate the importance of considering both maximum and minimum consumption standards, the relevance of human-need theories, as well as the difference between achieving wellbeing and the means necessary for doing so. We conclude by opening up to areas that merit further deliberation: how to relate consumption corridors to everyday-life dynamics, but also to the critical question of power relations at play in implementing consumption corridors.

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“…Consumption corridors are advantageous in that they address planetary boundaries and issues of both intergenerational and intragenerational justice (Lorek and Fuchs 2019). With a focus on environmental awareness and finite material concerns, consumption corridors may provide a lens to implement the concept of the "double dividend" (see Jackson 2005bJackson , 2009 that is inherent in sustainable consumption discourses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Creating context for corridors of consumption: the case of Ireland

Lavelle

Fahy

2021

Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy

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Global consumption levels are significant contributors to detrimental environmental change and the current climate crisis. Across Ireland, domestic consumption levels have increased dramatically during the past three decades. Public discourse has focused primarily on minimum levels of consumption, with media outlets frequently reporting on minimum wages and acceptable minimum levels of food, shelter, and healthcare. A dearth of dialogue exists on the concept of maximum levels of consumption. This article proffers that the concept of consumption corridors provides a timely lens to initiate discussion and to critically consider the potential of ascertaining maximum levels of consumption across Ireland. Drawing on analyses of an extensive database of 1,500 households across two policy regions À Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland À we argue that there is no single universally just and ecologically sustainable way of setting limits to consumption. Numerous factors must be considered including scale, policy influences, cultural understandings, and varying expectations of standards of living and quality of life. The article reports on participants' perceptions of material items as needs and satisfiers and aims to advance methodological applications of the consumption-corridors concept. This study offers evidence highlighting a need for tailored sustainability policies.

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Why only strong sustainable consumption governance will make a difference

Cited by 14 publications

References 27 publications

Breaking through banal consumerism? Representations of postconsumerist perspectives in mainstream press media

Breaking through banal consumerism? Representations of postconsumerist perspectives in mainstream press media

Advancing the concept of consumption corridors and exploring its implications

Creating context for corridors of consumption: the case of Ireland

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